Fundraisers get a charge out of plugging into the Power & Light District

It’s a typical Friday night in the Power & Light District — music pumping from the stage and a crowd drinking under the giant canopy.

But this night is special because when the “Bloom Goes Electric” party ends around midnight, the Kansas City Free Health Clinic will wind up more than $200,000 richer.

“Charities are getting a big piece of the action down here,” said Jon Stephens, marketing director for the downtown entertainment district developed by the Cordish Co.

“We want to be a great corporate citizen and give back,” he said. “We do that most effectively by hosting and partnering with charities as they plan their fundraising events down here.”

Nonprofits throughout the area are jumping at the chance to do just that, betting that the new downtown entertainment district will be a big draw for their guests and major sponsors.

“I love it,” said John Anderson, a guest at the Bloom party. “This is the place to be, plus it’s for a good cause.”

Two other groups that raise money for charity, the Bacchus Foundation and the O.E. Ellis Society, paired up and started a dialogue with Cordish two years before the entertainment district opened last fall, hoping to court it along the way and then capitalize on the grand opening excitement.

“I don’t think in our lifetime that we’ll ever see another entertainment area this big happen,” said Mark Hassenflu, managing director of events for Bacchus and Ellis. “When we heard this project was in the works, we realized that we needed to get a hold of these people so that when things do happen, we’re at the forefront.”

The homework paid off. Bacchus and Ellis raised thousands from selling tickets to three charitable events in the district that attracted hundreds of guests and sponsors. One of the most popular was the “Double Trouble” fundraiser where guests enjoyed food and drink from two bars that were simultaneously celebrating grand openings.

“It’s been a great partnership,” Hassenflu said. “And our sponsors love the parties. They’re treated like VIPs. Everything we’ve done down there has been a tremendous success.”

Bacchus and O.E. Ellis aren’t the only nonprofits making money in the district. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society held its “Man and Woman of the Year” fundraiser, Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley hosted a benefit for Ronald McDonald House, Gordon Biersch Brewery threw a party to raise funds for the Truman Medical Center, and the March of Dimes recently held its major fundraiser there. And for the American Cancer Society, the “Shave to Save” fundraiser that took place last month on the stage in the Kansas City Live block of the district raised a record-breaking $136,000 for the organization.

Coming up June 27 is an eat-and-drink evening in the KC Live block for Turning Point, an agency that helps families facing serious illnesses. And July 31, Lucky Strike Lanes will turn bowling lanes into a fashion runway to raise money for Hope House shelter. 

“It’s going to be a blast,” said Barry Pointer, general manager for Lucky Strike. “We enjoy it because it’s a great opportunity to help out.”

Why all the excitement about the Power & Light District? Just ask Kevin Farrell and Abby Mayer, who co-chaired the hugely successful “Bloom Goes Electric” on Friday for the Kansas City Free Health Clinic.

First, guests want to go to the entertainment district, especially the 20- and 30-somethings who are an essential ingredient for any nonprofit wanting to stay vital into the next generation. Bloom, for example, had its biggest turnout ever this year, with more than 1,200 guests. The event was sold out, and organizers had to turn people away. The party also raised a record amount of money.

Second, the location is great because almost everything you need already is there — the stage, the restaurants, the canopy and the lighting and sound systems.

Third, unlike an event at a hotel or convention center, there’s excitement all around you, Mayer said. “There’s an energy level around the event you just can’t duplicate anywhere else,” she said. And Farrell and Mayer are betting that energy level will be around for years to come. The free health clinic is planning to hold Bloom in the district for at least the next three years. Each year will have a different theme to keep the party fresh and exciting, Farrell said.

Another big advantage charity events have in the district, Hassenflu said, is that guests coming down there don’t have to wait in lines to get into a restaurant. “You’re on the party list, and you just walk on in, and there’s all the food and drink you want,” he said. Although there are costs associated with having an event in the district (set fees for the space, security and valets, for example), if a charity can hook up with a restaurant-opening party, “every nickel of that ticket you bought goes to charity. They (the district) don’t want any part of it,” Hassenflu said.

Following in those footsteps is Kerry Adam, co-chair of the annual “An Evening Among Friends” benefit for Turning Point. When she presented three venues for the benefit to the board of directors, the Power & Light District was the unanimous pick. “We wanted a new, hip venue, and our board is a younger group, and no one had been down to the district yet,” Adam said. “We’re calling our event ‘Friday Night Live!’

Another interesting twist, she said, is that it was easier to lure sponsors to the event to help underwrite the costs once they heard the party’s location. “We suddenly gained a lot of credibility with our underwriters,” Adam said. “Their names will be up on the JumboTron, things like that.”

Last month the March of Dimes took a chance and held its major fundraising event, “March for Babies,” in the district. More than 5,000 walkers took part, and organizers turned it into a festival-type atmosphere, closing off 14th Street and setting up bouncy houses in the KC Live area.

“I think everyone felt like they were a part of something very special,” said Kim Larrick, executive director of the Kansas City division for the March of Dimes. “We wanted to share this beautiful new area with everyone, and we thought it would be fun for families to see it during the daytime.”

And like Bloom, the event was so successful, Larrick said, that she’s making plans to hold it there again next year. “We hope this is the start of a great relationship,” she said.

You don’t have to be a big-time fundraiser to benefit from the district’s excitement. The local Red Cross, invited by Cordish, simply brought a few volunteers to a recent concert in the entertainment district. They set out containers for people to donate to the tornado victims in the Northland.

“We raised about $2,800,” said Jerilyn Jones, Red Cross director of development. “Needless to say, I didn’t have any trouble getting volunteers to participate for this one.”